Figure 6.

Role of tissue-specific angiotensinogen (AGT) in 5/6 nephrectomy (Nx)-induced interstitial fibrosis progression. Kidney samples were collected at 16 wk post-Nx. A: paraffin-embedded kidney sections were used to carry out Sirius red staining and immunohistochemistry for evaluating collagen type IV (Col IV)-, platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β (PDGFRβ)-, and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA)-positive areas. Circles with dashed lines indicate glomeruli. B–E: data quantified from five randomly chosen fields per kidney (n = 5–7). Collagen type I-α₁ (Col1A1; F), collagen type III-α₁ (Col3A1; G), α-SMA (Acta2; H), connective tissue growth factor (Ctgf; I), and transforming growth factor-β (Tgf-β; J) mRNA levels were evaluated using quantitative RT-PCR and calculated using the formula described in materials and methods (n = 4–9). Scale bars = 50 µm. Data are expressed as means ± SD. *P < 0.01 vs. the respective sham; **P < 0.01 vs. the respective sham; ***P < 0.001 vs. the respective sham; #P < 0.05; ##P < 0.01; and ###P < 0.001. LKO, liver-specific AGT knockout; PKO, proximal tubule-specific AGT knockout; WT, wild type.